Refrigerating apparatus



July 22, 1941. s. M. BcKsTRM REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 27.1936l Patented July 22, 1941 2,249,737 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS siguraMattias sckserm. stockholm. sweden,

assignor to Platen-Munten Refrigerating System, Aktiebolag, Stockholm,Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Application November 27, 1936, SerialNo. 112,948

In Germany November 27, 1935 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and moreparticularly to refrigerating apparatus of the absorption type Theobject of this invention is to provide a standard apparatus which may beinstalled in diiierent positions in a refrigerator cabinet. Particularlyin connection with installations made in built-in kitchen cabinets it isconvenient and desirable to locate the refrigerating apparatus behindthe cabinet for certain. installations. while other installationsrequire that the apparatus be located at the side of the cabinet. Invall installations the ice trays carried by the chilling unit should beremovable toward the front of the cabinet regardless of how theapparatus is located. In accordance with this invention the sameapparatus may be employed and, regardless of how it is located, the icetrays are removable toward the front.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following description considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawing which forms a part of this specification and of which:

Fig. 1 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig.`2 is a rear view of the device shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, reference character I@ designates arefrigerator cabinet enclosing a food space I I, access to which may behad from the front of the cabinet by means of a door I2.

Secured to the back of the cabinet and outside of foodspace II is arefrlgerating apparatus designated generally by reference character I3.This apparatus includes a generator enclosed within insulating materialI4, a condenser I5 and an absorber I6. The generator may be heated inany desired manner, as by` gas. electricity or oil. Condenser IEcomprises a coil provided with heat radiating iins Il. Particularly inconnection with the cabinets f the built-in type it is essential thatthe width of the refrigerating apparatus outside of the cabinet bemaintained as small as possible. The dimensions of the generator usuallydetermine the minimum width possible and in order that this width shallnot be exceeded by the condenser. the radiating ns I1 are of no greaterwidth than the generator. However, ilns of this width in most caseswould not provide the necessary heat transfer surface. In accordancewith this invention the fins Il are extended a substantial distancebelow the condenser coil in order that they may have sufficient area.The lower portions of the fins are supported by means of a rod or tubeI8.

Within the food space Il there is disposed an evaporator I9 whichpreferably comprises a hollow cylindrical body. Suitably secured toevaporator I9 is a member 20 provided with shelves 2l vfor receiving icetrays 22. Member 20 is preferably a casting and shelves 2l are open ontwo adjacent sides. As shown in Fig. 1, one of these open sides isclosed by means of a plate 28,

thus leaving open only the side of each shelf facing door I2.

There is shown in dash lines in Fig. l the above described refrigeratingapparatus placed at the side of the cabinet. If no change whatsoeverwere made when the apparatus is turned through in order to place it atthe side of the cabinet. the openings of shelves 2l would not face doorI2,` but would face the opposite side of the cabinet and the insertionand removal of ice trays would be awkward and inconvenient. However, inaccordance with the present invention this is remedied by removing plate23 and replacing it so as to cover the other open side of each shelf.Thus. although the refrigerating apparatus shown in dash lines in Fig.1l has been turned 90 from the apparatus shown in full lines, theopening to the shelves 2|y still faces the door I2.

With the above described arrangement it is not necessary that theevaporator be cylindrical. as member 20 need not be turned around it.Consequently. a coil type evaporator may be used.

Instead of making member 20 with two open sides for the shelves, thismember may be made in the usual manner, that is,.with only one side ofthe shelves open, and the whole member 'arranged to be rotated aboutevaporator I9.' In order for this to be possible the evaporator must becircular and the conduits connected thereto must be so located as not tointerfere with rotation of member 20 around the evaporator. As will beseen, particularly in Fig. 3. the conduits 26 and 26 are connected tothe evaporator at points above and below. respectively, the member 20.Itis thus possible to rotate the member on the evaporator so that theshelf opening faces the door I2 regardless of the position oi' theapparatus in the cabinet.

Conduit 25 connects the top of the evaporator with the bottom ofabsorber I8, while conduit 26 connects the bottom of the evaporator withthe top of the absorber. A conduit 2'1 is connected sure of therefrigerant is reduced and. it evapo-v rates to produce cold, thisprocess being well known in connection with absorption refrigerators ofthis type. The mixture of vaporous refrigerant and inert gas passes fromthe evaporator through conduit 2l to the bottom of the absorber i8. Theabsorber is supplied with weak absorption liquid from the generatorthrough a` conduit 29 and this weak absorption liquid passescounter-current to the inert gas and vaporous refrigerant in theevaporator. The refrigerant is absorbed, thus producing strongabsorption iluid which ows through a conduit 30 back to the generator.The inert gas is not absorbed and passes from the top of the absorberthrough conduit 28 to the evaporator.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a standard apparatus whichmay be installed in either the back or the side of a cabinet. Manyadvantages result from being able to use one of the standard apparatusesfor diiferent type of installations. In the first place, it is cheaperto build one form of apparatus than to build several.

'Moreoven if the same apparatus may be used for the diilerentinstallations, a smaller stock may be maintained and errors in supplyingthe wrong type are done away with.

While there has been'shown one more or less speciilc embodiment of theinvention, it is to be understood that this has been done for purposesof illustration only and that the invention is to be limited only by theappended claims viewed in the light of the prior art.

What is claimed is:

1. In a refrigerating device. a cabinet having a door, an absorptionrefrigerating apparatus including a generator, a condenser and anabsorber adapted to be located on different exterior sides ofsaidcabinet and an evaporator adapted to be located, in differentpositions within said cabinet, conduits rigidlyv connecting saidgenerator, condenser. absorber and evaporator together and providing forilow of iluids therebetween, and a.

member rigidly aecurable to said evaporator in a single position andhaving a shelf open at two adjacent sides for supporting ice trays, saidmember being so constructed and arranged that an opening of said shelffaces said door in any of said positions of said evaporator within saidcabinet. l

2. In a refrigerating device, a cabinet having a door, an absorptionrefrigerating apparatus including a generator, a condenser and anabsorber adapted to be located on different exterior sides of saidcabinet and an evaporatorr adapted to be located in different positionswithin said cabinet, conduits rigidly connecting said generator,condenser, absorber and evaporatorI together and providing for iiow ofiluids therebetween, a member secured to said evaporator and havingshelves for supporting ice trays, said shelves being open at twoadjacent sides, and means for selectively closing either of said sides.

3. In a refrigerating device, a cabinet having a door,L an absorptionrefrigerating apparatus including a generator, a condenser and anabsorber adapted to be located on different exterior sides of saidcabinet and an evaporator adapted to be located in different positionswithin said cabinet, conduits rigidly connecting said generator,condenser, absorber and evaporator together and providing for flow vo1'fluids therebetween, a member secured to said evaporator and havingshelves for supporting ice trays, said shelves being open at twoadjacent sides, a plate, and means for securing said plate to saidmember so as to close either of said sides.

SIGURD MA'I'IIAS BCKSTRM'.

